The Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) announced on March 25 that it is awarding the “Beca Cachimbo San Marcos. Edición 475.º aniversario” scholarships to the highest-ranking incoming students from each of its 20 faculties. The initiative, organized by the university’s Center for Languages, will provide three scholarships per faculty, totaling 60 recipients among those who achieved top positions in the university’s admission processes for cycles 2026-I and 2026-II.
The program aims to reward academic effort and dedication while promoting language learning among new students. Scholarship recipients can begin studying one of eight languages offered by the Center for Languages: English, Portuguese, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Quechua, or Aymara.
Guillaume Yannick Serge Oisel, executive director of the center, said that “the main objective of the ‘Beca Cachimbo San Marcos’ project is to position this department within the San Marcos community with special attention to incoming students in 2026.” Oisel also said that although “the UNMSM Language Center provides training in various languages to undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni and staff,” there is a need “to strengthen its institutional presence in faculties—especially among new entrants who represent a strategic audience with high enrollment potential.”
To support this goal, professional staff from the center have been visiting all twenty faculties. During these visits—which include informational talks—they announce scholarship winners directly. The most recent ceremony took place on March 24 at a welcome event for first-year dentistry students led by Dean Dr. Antonia Castro Rodríguez.
At this event Chiara Cristel Cordova Castillo and Amartya Sen Roman Carbajal were recognized as scholarship winners for placing first in dentistry admissions during cycles I and II respectively. “I never imagined I would win this scholarship,” said Amartya Sen upon receiving news of his award. “It was unexpected for me but I think it’s a very nice initiative that will allow me to study English—for now—and perhaps Quechua later on.”
So far scholarships have already been awarded at ceremonies held at several faculties including Electronic and Electrical Engineering as well as Social Sciences. Upcoming events are planned at Medicine; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Letters; and Human Sciences throughout April until all twenty faculties have participated.
